- Asked by: Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Wendy Alexander on 30 January 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what monitoring it has undertaken of the effectiveness of the Partnership Action for Continuing Employment contingency plans.
Answer
In March-April 2001 the Executive undertook a series of seminars to review the first year of operation of the Partnership Action for Continuing Employment (PACE) framework.In October 2001 the report Partnership Action for Continuing Employment 2001 Review was published, outlining the key findings from the review. The document included an action plan for the further improvement and development of PACE at a strategic and local level. That included recommendations in respect of early warnings and forward planning.We are also commissioning research on how other countries deal with large-scale redundancies in order to identify other examples of best practice.
- Asked by: Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 30 January 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-16250 by Rhona Brankin on 27 June 2001, whether any sites for the repository of nuclear waste material from decommissioned nuclear submarines have now been selected.
Answer
No sites have been selected. I understand that in its announcement on the publication of the final report of the Project ISOLUS Front End Consultation, the Ministry of Defence stated it will not be until industry comes forward with proposals that potential sites will begin to emerge.
- Asked by: Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Wendy Alexander on 30 January 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what further special support it plans to offer West Lothian in light of the recent large scale redundancies and labour market statistics showing an increase in the claimant count level in the area.
Answer
As I announced to Parliament in December, the Executive is making £6 million available to help implement the West Lothian Action Plan for economic development. This fulfils the commitment to provide up to £10 milion following the Motorola closure last year.In addition, a wide range of specific support measures has been implemented to assist those affected by redundancies in the area. The Motorola Taskforce has already assisted in the redeployment of approximately three-quarters of former employees. Similarly, NEC employees will have access to a number of forms of assistance such as an on-site response team, counselling and high quality training. The unemployment rate in West Lothian remains below the Scottish average.
- Asked by: Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 30 January 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive how many children left school in the West Lothian area without attaining a standard grade in (a) English, (b) Mathematics and (c) English and Mathematics in each academic year since 1996.
Answer
The following table shows the number and percentage of pupils that left publicly funded schools in the West Lothian education authority in 1996-97, 1997-98 and 1998-99, without attaining a standard grade in (a) English, (b) Mathematics and (c) English and Mathematics:
Year | Total number of leavers | Percentage not attaining Standard Grade Mathematics | Percentage not attaining Standard Grade English | Percentage not attaining Standard Grade Mathematics and English |
1996-97 | 1,861 | 190 (10%) | 200 (11%) | 239 (13%) |
1997-98 | 1,912 | 143 (7%) | 137 (7%) | 180 (9%) |
1998-99 | 1,939 | 118 (6%) | 106 (5%) | 150 (8%) |
Note: Data relating to 1999-2000 is not yet available.
- Asked by: Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Wendy Alexander on 30 January 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what analysis of any impact on the supply chain of the closures of the Motorola plant in Bathgate and the NEC plant in Livingston was undertaken by the Partnership Action for Continuing Employment team in West Lothian.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-21949.
- Asked by: Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Wendy Alexander on 30 January 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Department of Trade and Industry played any role in action taken to alleviate the effects of recent redundancies in West Lothian and, if so, what role it played.
Answer
The Executive has put in place the Partnership Action for Continuing Employment (PACE) initiative which is a strategic national framework bringing together the relevant local agencies to alleviate redundancy situations. The local PACE teams have provided support to those affected by recent redundancies in West Lothian tailored to individual needs. This includes advice on job searching, core skills training, skills transfer programmes and financial advice. Through InUK, a joint DTI/FCO organisation, the Department of Trade and Industry has assisted in the marketing of the Bathgate site of Motorola.
- Asked by: Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 11 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Wendy Alexander on 25 January 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the #2.5 million Regional Selective Assistance should be clawed back from the electronics company NEC Semi-conductors (UK) Ltd following the comments made by the Minister for Enterprise, Transport and Lifelong Learning on 20 December 2001 (Official Report, col. 5066).
Answer
I made clear in the Parliament on 20 December that while NEC's facility at Livingston is regarded as mothballed rather than closed, the outstanding grant of £2.4 million will not require to be repaid. A close watching brief on this will of course be maintained.
- Asked by: Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 11 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Wendy Alexander on 25 January 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive how the #16.7 million Regional Selective Assistance clawback from Motorola announced by the Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning on 25 April 2001 will be allocated.
Answer
On 25 April 2001 I announced in the Parliament that the Scottish Executive was setting aside up to £10 million to help fund the Motorola Taskforce's action plan.On 20 December 2001 I announced in the Parliament that the Scottish Executive will provide £6 million (of the £10 million which had been set aside) to the West Lothian Strategic Action Plan for economic development for the area.All recoveries of Regional Selective Assistance are returned to the Executive's budget, in line with normal procedure.
- Asked by: Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 11 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Wendy Alexander on 25 January 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive how much of the #16.7 million Regional Selective Assistance clawback from Motorola announced by the Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning on 25 April 2001 will be invested in West Lothian.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-21786.
- Asked by: Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 11 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Wendy Alexander on 25 January 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will receive the #16.7 million Regional Selective Assistance clawback from Motorola announced by the Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning on 25 April 2001.
Answer
Motorola repaid £16.75 million to the Executive in May 2001.
